To Start An Interest
by a-nickel-richer
Summary: Takihara Izumi expected herself to have a boring and simple school life, even in the dreaded End Class. Who knew things would stray so far from that all because of their new teacher and her new classmates? [Bad description, I tried my best]
1. Chapter 1

Izumi was irritated.

Not that she wasn't in the first place, but today the feeling was stronger than usual. Izumi leaned back in her chair, surveying her surroundings. Class 3-E was in its usual mood, with small groups of students talking and laughing amongst one another. Izumi clicked her tongue. She turned up the volume.

If someone were to look into the classroom, they would most probably miss her presence entirely. She didn't talk to anyone, always quietly seated at her desk with her earphones plugged in. With her place at the back of the class which was usually filled with the noisier ones, she ceased to exist even more.

Izumi didn't mind. In fact, the lack of attention made her feel more at ease. Lightly tapping her fingers to the beat of a rock song, she surreptitiously glanced over to her right.

Empty.

Despite school having started nearly two months ago, the desk next to her remained empty. It piqued her curiosity slightly, but not enough to make her investigate for herself. Besides, from the snippets she heard, the student had apparently been suspended for violent behavior towards some main block students—or something like that.

Izumi clicked her tongue once more. In her opinion, that boy should have just been expelled. Why should he still be sticking around? People like that were mostly useless and served no purpose towards anyone or themselves. And those sort of people irritated her the most. They could at least try to be less of a burden to everyone else.

Three figures walked into the classroom, the most conspicuous one being the one in the middle. Izumi couldn't bring herself to even look at the sheer stupidity of the yellow octopus costume he or she had donned, what more the graduation robe with a cheesy necktie and the small mortarboard perched atop the head.

Izumi also didn't know what to feel about the first man who was holding a pistol right at the head of the cosplayer.

The octopus-dressed person spoke first. "Nice to meet you." The voice was clearly a male's. "I'm the one who blew up the moon. I also plan to blow up the Earth next year. Seeing as I've become your homeroom teacher, I look forward to working with you."

Izumi and the rest of the class stared at him, the statement not yet fully sinking in their heads. When it finally did, they looked mortified. _SERIOUSLY?!_

The third and thankfully human guy decided to intervene. "I am Karasuma, from the Ministry of Defense. First of all, I would like you to understand that what I am about to say is classified government information."

That last part definitely caught everyone's attention, judging by the deathly silence of the classroom. Karasuma looked satisfied with the students of 3-E not replying. "Now, cutting straight to the point. I want you to kill this monster!"

This time, the student's faces morphed into varying expressions of horror and shock and mortification as Karasuma pointed at the octopus. Izumi blinked a few times. Sure, he might be a serious fashion violator _and_ definitely a big-time liar, but wouldn't it be a little exaggerating to call him a monster and call for his death?

Mimura was the first one to speak up. "…Er, what? So that guy is an alien who came to attack us?"

The new teacher looked inexplicably offended by that question. "How rude!" he exclaimed, waving his tentacles (they looked pretty realistic, she would give him that) indignantly. "I was born and raised on Earth, you know."

"I'm afraid I can't speak about the particulars," Karasuma interjected, "but what he told you is true. This creature, who damaged the moon, will also destroy the Earth next March. The world's leaders are the only people who know about this."

He sighed, inhaling deeply. "Before the world is plunged into panic... They are exerting considerable effort to kill him behind the scenes." His movements were subtle, but Izumi glimpsed him reaching inside his jacket. "In other words,"—Karasuma whipped out a knife, attacking the octopus who managed to dodge efficiently—"an assassination."

His forehead creased in concentration as his attacks continued but without any of the stabs landing. "But at any rate," he huffed, sounding slightly out of breath, "this guy is fast!" It was too fast to be human, but then again this was the guy—who according to the world—destroyed the moon. "Far from killing him, I'm having my eyebrows trimmed by him! Meticulously, even!"

Everyone stared blankly as their new teacher zoomed around Karasuma, avoiding the slashes and stabs while attacking with a pair of tweezers. It was almost comical, if not for the fact that that very person could destroy their planet right now.

Karasuma finally stopped, his forehead glistening with sweat. "He is a super creature possessing enough power to transform a full moon into a crescent. As you already noticed, he is much faster than an average human. That is because his maximum speed is actually Mach 20!"

Class 3-E swallowed nervously as he proceeded to voice their very thoughts. "In other words, if this guy were to seriously run away, we would be helpless until the day of our destruction."

The octopus with his grinning expression that was utterly mockery at this point only kept his eyebrow trimming kit with a neat _Snap!_ "Well, that wouldn't be any fun at all," he piped up cheerfully. "Which is why I made a proposal to the nations of the world. After all, I want to be killed as much as the next person.

"But… If I become the homeroom teacher for Kunugigaoka Junior High School, Class 3-E, then you're welcome to try. I won't stop you."

 _WHY?!_ Every students' head echoed that plea. Why did it have to be their class?

Karasuma shook his head, sighing. "We don't know his goal, but the government reluctantly consented. Our condition is that he cause absolutely no harm to you students. And yes, our reasons are twofold. As he will come to this classroom everyday as a teacher, we can observe him, and above all, with 30 people… you'll have the biggest chance to kill him from point-blank range!"

He quickly continued before anyone could voice their protests. "The reward for successful completion is 10 billion yen." The students froze, processing his words. Karasuma didn't seem afflicted by their reaction, shrugging. "It is only an appropriate sum. After all, the assassination's success means the Earth's salvation."

Izumi could've sworn she saw the octopus grin even wider. "Fortunately, this guy is looking down on you. See, when the green stripes appear, it's his mocking face."

True enough, horizontal stripes were now streaked across the octopus's face. 3-E didn't know whether to laugh or to cry out in despair. _JUST WHAT KIND OF SKIN IS THAT?!_

As if he had read their minds, his grin only widened as he continued, "It's only natural. There is no way all of you will be able to kill me when the government couldn't. When they attacked me with a state-of-the-art fighter plane... I gave it a mid-air waxing instead."

What is it with this guy and maintenance? Izumi mulled, leaning back in her chair.

"I would like you to strike if the opportunity presents itself," Karasuma said, nodding to his left. A woman stepped forward and popped open a metal briefcase with clear ease, presenting its contents. Inside there was a handgun and numerous survival knives similar to the one Karasuma had been using earlier. The weapons were all painted an unnatural green, raising some questions.

"We will provide all of you with bullets and knives which are effective against him, but harmless to you." As if to prove his point, he stabbed a knife it down his palm but the blade only bent like it was made of rubber. "This must be kept a secret from your family and friends. Understood?" Sealing everything away, he addressed them more seriously this time. "Anyway, time is short. If the Earth disappears, there will be nowhere to run!"

The octopus clapped his tentacles together happily, reminding Izumi of an over-enthusiastic camp counselor. "That's the long and short of it. Now, everyone, let's spend this final year in a meaningful fashion!"

* * *

Barely a week had passed, but Izumi was starting to see how their new homeroom teacher had managed to make laughing stocks out of the world's military units. The octopus—or Korosensei, as the class had decided to call him since he had no name to begun with—was living up to his name of impossible to kill.

Firing together in rapid succession? Fine with Korosensei, he could always just take attendance while dodging the bullets. Ambush? Nearly, but everyone got a lecture for putting other people in danger because of some kid was coerced into detonating a grenade around his neck. Trap? He could already tell what they were planning from the start. It was almost as if he could read their minds (which he vehemently denied quite flusteredly, given his panicked expression).

As the days dragged on, Izumi was beginning to regret ever having joined 3-E, along with having met Korosensei. She loved a good challenge as much as the next person, but this? It was literally impossible! All the class could do was plan another assassination attempt during lunch break while he was away in Malaysia for a laksa eating competition.

Groaning to herself, she ripped the earphones out and slumped forward on her desk. This was hopeless. The task was hopeless. Izumi scoffed to herself, shaking her head. As if they were ever going to manage pull it off. Was this some sick joke, having some school kids play hitmen for a year?

"Um… Takihara-san?"

Izumi lifted her head from the table, casting an irritated glance at the person. It was the girl who sat beside Shiota Nagisa (whose name she only remembered because of the little stunt he pulled a few days ago) with a smile on her face. "What is it?" Izumi asked, making no attempt in masking the frigidness in her voice.

"Well, I—I mean, we—were just wondering whether you would like to contribute any ideas to the rest of the class."

It was only then Izumi noticed that all eyes in the room were trained on her. She could feel their condescending gazes burning into her skin. So much for being non-existent sitting at the back. Seeing their expectant faces, Izumi sat up and gave them the reply they desired. "As a matter of fact, no I don't. And please don't include me in your future plans."

"But—"

"Let me get this straight," Izumi ignored the girl, crossing her legs elegantly. "The task given at hand is to assassinate our teacher. I apologize for bursting your little roleplay bubble, but that's not going to happen unless he offers to put his own head on the guillotine."

"You can't say that," Nagisa protested, standing up abruptly. "We have more people here who have a better chance of approaching him than any military in this world."

Izumi turned her gaze to Nagisa, her face perfectly calm. "And what difference will it make?" She held up her hand, pushing down the pinky. "First, you may have manpower, but what you are forgetting the fact that you are amateurs. Who in this class has actually planned and carried out a successful assassination before?"

She bent her ring finger. "Second, execution. Most of the class is physically fit, but this is not a sports event. The government may have given us guns and knifes, but we lack marksmanship and knife work. It's like giving car keys to an infant, ultimately serving no purpose."

"The last and the most important bit is Korosensei," Izumi added, pushing down her middle finger. "That creature is capable of moving at Mach 20, while the fastest known jets in the world can only reach about Mach 3.5. Say you do manage to make him fall for one of your traps, how are you supposed to prevent him from dodging your bullets and guns?"

Everyone was silent, as the reality of it all was finally laid out before them. Izumi clicked her tongue. "Though, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Given the severity of it all, the government will step in sooner or later and help to hone the skills required."

"So what you mean is someone from the government might be sent to train us?" a boy Izumi managed to recognize as Isogai Yuma mused.

"Will," Izumi corrected. "I imagine they must be really feeling desperate right now. Just continue with whatever you are doing in the meantime and keep me out of it. You can learn properly from the professionals later on if you want."

The green-haired girl looked infuriated. "You can't do that, Takihara-san!"

"Kayano-chan…" Nagisa started.

"No!" Kayano protested. "Takahira-san yourself said that we should continue with our assassination attempts, and that includes you. You're a part of this class yourself!"

Izumi turned to Kayano, a clear menacing glint dancing in her eyes. "Perhaps I hadn't made myself clear," she intoned with a subtle anger laced in her voice. It sent shudders of fear down everybody's backs. "I do _not_ intend to partake in any assassination attempts anytime in the near future. Please kindly take that into account and leave me out of whatever plans you are making, Kayano- _chan_."

Kayano hung her head low amidst the choking silence established by Izumi in the room. "Why…" she murmured. Clenching her fists, her voice grew louder as she demanded, "Why is it that you act so nonchalant about this? Don't you feel anything? In less than a year, Korosensei will destroy the Earth!"

Izumi picked up her earphones and inserted the earpieces in her ears. "Then I guess we will just die along with it for our incompetence."

After that, no one tried to talk to her about assassinations anymore. Or anything, for that matter.

* * *

 **A/N: Bad start, I know. Oh well, I was never particularly good at this writing thing to begin with. How do you readers feel about Izumi? Like her? Hate her? Neutral? Let me know in the reviews please! Have a nice day :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Izumi glanced out the window, curiously looking on as Korosensei frantically tried to plant the new flower bulbs. Due to another one of his moments, 3-E was now one flower bed short of flowers and he was now desperately trying to make up for that unprecedented turnout.

Beside him, Kataoka and Himura were not-so-subtly edging him on, reminding the octopus ever so often to handle each bulb carefully. It seemed as if they were actually enjoying the prospect of getting to order around the creature that threatened to start the genocide of humankind.

Others weren't nearly as enthusiastic about it. Maehara started, "Hey… I hear he's gonna destroy the Earth, but…"

"Y-Yeah…" Isogai agreed. "It _is_ kinda weird for him to be planting tulips." After all, they themselves couldn't possibly survive with their planet gone, what more the fragile flowers.

"Done!" Korosensei announced as he stood up, brushing dirt and grass off his robes. "In no time at all, the class will have prettier flowers than before. Now if you excuse me, I'll have to drop by the North Pole again for more ice."

"How can that honestly be enough?" Izumi mused amidst the students protests that Korosensei would be leaving again this quickly.

Kataoka frowned. "What do you mean by that, Takihara-san?"

Heavens. She wasn't intending to be heard at all, but by some miracle her words were made out clearly. "It took nearly a month for those tulips sensei uprooted to grow," Izumi surmised, quickly accepting the fact that she had been heard. "And since he just planted the bulbs, we still have to wait at least another month before the new ones bloom."

Slowly but surely, Maehara's features morphed into a look of realization. "So your point is…"

Izumi stood up from the windowsill she had been leaning on, easily giving herself an air of surety. "Korosensei has to do more things to fully make it up to the class, yes."

Isogai tapped his finger on his chin, pondering the proposal thoughtfully. "I guess Takihara-san is somewhat right about that. It did take a lot of effort to grow them."

Grinning as per usual, Korosensei nodded. "I see your point, Takihara-san. You want me to apologize to everyone."

Izumi shook her head. "Not really. Call it a stab in the dark, but I think what everyone wants is a chance to challenge you, sensei."

Green stripes streaked brightly across his face, marking his amusement. "Oh?"

Without missing a beat, the brunette smoothly continued, "Which means if you want to fully apologize, you will let us assassinate you."

"Nurufufufu... It's not like the class isn't already doing that everyday."

Izumi tilted her head to the right, everyone could've sworn they saw a lilting smirk there for a split second. "That's where you're mistaken, sensei. What I'm suggesting is indeed a typical assassination rally—but with a handicap."

His interest was piqued as he started to fall for it, hook, line and sinker. "A handicap, you say?"

Nodding, Izumi pointed at Korosensei. "You will remain immobile let the class freely attack you as much as they want for the entire period, and you are not allowed to use Mach 20 to flee."

Korosensei paused, clearly considering the offer. "Sensei, are you actually thinking it over?" Izumi swiftly interrupted his thoughts. Oh no, he will not have the chance to determine the pros and cons. "As you said, isn't this already what the class does everyday? It's not like this is your first rodeo, am I right, Korosensei? I mean, Kayano-san gave you that name for a reason."

"I—"

Izumi sighed, shaking her head amicably. "Man, I do wish we had more training, though. As amateurs, I fear we have little to no chances of succeeding, with or without the handicap. But it's worth a shot for the 10 billion, I guess."

The students present watched in awe as the psychological manipulation continued. She was proceeding with such ease and silent confidence, subtly pushing him on to accept the offer presented to him.

"Very well," Korosensei submitted at last. "I accept your suggestion. I think I saw some rope in the shed somewhere…"

As he zoomed away, Sugino whirled to face Izumi, eyes shining with excitement. "Takihara-san, that was amazing!" he exclaimed. "Now, we truly have a shot at killing him for real. The way you convinced him, it was like hypnosis or something!"

Izumi shrugged off his words. "Frankly, I don't think you all can actually pull it off. But if you really want to, you should tell the rest of the class to get ready with their weapons."

"Wait," he said when she started walking back to the classroom. "Aren't you coming?"

"Pass. I'll just watch from inside."

Kataoka blinked in surprise. "But… you're the one who set this up. Don't you want to see it through?"

Izumi closed her eyes and turned away, continuing walking. "I meant what I said about not involving myself in any of the assassinations."

Himura clicked her tongue impatiently, obviously feeling fed up with this odd unreadable girl. "In that case, why did you even waste your energy to set this one all up?"

Her footsteps faltered just the slightest before coming to a standstill. A cold silence greeted them. Eventually, Izumi callously replied, "Because I was bored," and continued walking, but not before she coolly added, "Enjoy your little present."

It was also on that very day that they discovered that Korosensei's PE lessons would now be taken over by Karasuma, the government officer from the other day. Nobody admitted out loud that Izumi's prediction had come true, and since Izumi herself didn't bother to point it out, it was quickly forgotten somewhere in the middle of the bustling school day.

* * *

"Say…. What do you think about her?"

Nagisa looked up from his English essay in surprise. "Huh? Who are you talking about?"

Kayano shook her head, flipping to the next page of her cooking magazine. "Takihara Izumi. What do you think about her?"

Nagisa turned around to look behind him. He soon caught sight of the brunette, sleeping on her desk as usual. He hummed thoughtfully, "I guess she's… alright?"

To be honest, he didn't actually know what to feel about Izumi. Mainly because like the rest of the class, he too knew next to nothing about her. She was one of the quieter ones in class who didn't mingle around much. She would offer a comment once in a while, but they were more than often downright blunt and always ended up offending one or more party.

Kayano sighed as she shut her magazine and stuffed it under her desk. "Though, I don't think she's much of a bad person."

Nagisa pondered for a moment, "I guess you're right." Sharp as her tongue might be, Izumi didn't actually go out of her way to seek trouble. Sure, she did skip the majority of the PE lessons, but that was about it. Even with her bluntness, Izumi was usually courteous with everyone (except for certain times if she ended up being irritated by said person).

"Hey, hey!" Nagisa violently lurched forward as Maehara good-heartedly slapped him on the back—hard. "Which girl are you guys talking about? Is she a looker?"

 _Did we somehow summon him just because we were talking about a girl?_ "Ah, we were just discussing about Izumi-chan," Kayano answered.

"Oh, you mean the Empress?"

Nagisa spluttered, choking on air when he heard that. "You came up with a nickname for her?!" he asked Maehara.

Said boy merely shrugged. "It was the one with the most votes. Idea courtesy of yours truly, and you're welcome."

"That's kinda mean," Kayano commented. Though, it seemed entirely befitting in a strange way, especially after the way she handled Korosensei's punishment for wrecking the class' flower beds.

"She's right, Maehara." Isogai swatted his friend on the head. "That's not a very nice thing to do."

"What?" Maehara demanded. "It was meant as a compliment, okay? I would definitely go after her—Hey, don't hit me before I'm done talking!—but her hotness is cancelled out by her coldness."

"You make it sound like you're talking about credit card transactions."

Nagisa sighed and closed his book, realizing that he was probably not going to finish the essay before homeroom ended. Gossip wasn't usually his kind of thing, but it was somewhat interesting when it came to the so-called Empress because of all the wild assumptions and theories.

"There are some rumors that say that she's actually an member of the monarchy. Apparently there was a sordid love affair which they kept quiet about, and they are secretly plotting to put her on the throne one day as the queen."

Okay, scratch that, some of the theories were actually downright ridiculous.

Isogai sighed. "Maehara, Izumi can be many things, but I'm pretty sure she's not a princess. Also, there is no such thing as the queen of Japan."

"Hey, I did say they were rumors."

"At least listen to the more believable ones, for crying out loud. Let's go back and I'll help you with Social Studies."

Maehara grinned widely, slinging an arm around the class representative's shoulder. "Sounds like a plan to me! Hey, can I copy your answers?"

"No! I said I would help you with it, not make you eligible for copyright infringement!"

"Aw, come on. Be a sport! Also, isn't 'copyright infringement' is a bit exaggerated?"

As the two walked off with friendly bickering, Nagisa and Kayano were left to themselves again. The petite girl glanced back curiously at still-sleeping Izumi. "You know, Nagisa, I actually want to be friends with her. It's just… I don't actually know how to."

Nagisa nodded, ticking off the reasons on his fingers. "Well, she's not very approachable due to her personality, and from the looks of it, I don't think she's even trying to befriend anyone."

Kayano pursed his lips. "I _have_ tried to talk to her a few times, but they always end up with a tense answer and then she just falls silent completely. Which might be expected, given our first conversation about Korosensei's assassination..."

Nagisa stared as Kayano shut her eyes and sighed. The school bell dimly rung in the distance. "No one in class likes her, but I think maybe it's because she doesn't give them the chance to know her. And to me, that's the worst thing anyone could do. Judge you without getting to know you."

They fell silent again as the earlier conversation lingered in their minds, and they were beginning to doubt whether they should be disliking her.

* * *

"—The situation is exactly as I just described. It goes without saying that revealing the secret behind Earth's crisis is strictly forbidden."

The boy cast a somewhat dubious downwards glance at the poster in his hand. The large spherical yellow head with the insufferable wide grin seemed too made up to be true, almost as believable as a five-year-old's imaginary friend. _Though, if it was that case, wouldn't they have at least used a more convincing mug shot?_

He could hear the female agent smoothly continue, "If you were to leak the information, you will have to undergo memory erasure treatment."

"…Without my parents' signed consent? Scaary!"

The two agents chose to completely ignore his well-aimed jibe, skillfully maintaining their serious faces. "All members of Class E have been provided with the same information. Everyone else is already involved in the mission."

The boy looked down again, this time at the green knife in his other hand. His fingers curled tightly around the hilt, taking note of the artificially smooth texture. His golden brown orbs then flickered to the glass coffee table, his gaze lingering on the sleek black pistol. Locked and loaded, "But not with real bullets," as they had needlessly assured him.

"If your suspension from school is lifted, you will also return to Class E. Therefore, I will entrust you with this assassination mission as well!"

Much to the agents' chagrin, the boy was completely unresponsive. It was as if they had been speaking to a brick wall or the couch the entire time. There was a glint in his eyes that unmistakably hinted he enjoyed riling people in whatever way possible. In this case, it was acting nonchalant in a matter involving the destruction of humanity.

The woman frowned. From what his file had stated, he possessed a particularly thick and messy track record. Skipping school, stealing, blackmail—what he had done would have led to an expulsion within the first semester, had they not been overlooked due to his grades. Even so, the incident that ultimately led to his suspension in the middle of his second year was an act of violence directed at his teacher.

How a troublemaker like this could be the among the highest scorers in the national mock examinations, she would never understand.

After a very tense moment of silence, the boy finally spoke up. "Hey, is this rubbery knife really gonna work?" he asked, easily bending the blade in his hand.

Inaudible sighs filled the room, relieved that he had finally spoken. "Yes. It is harmless to humans, but I guarantee it will be effective against him."

A grin stretched across his face, "Heeeh." The woman suppressed a shudder. It was excitement all right, but everything about it felt chillingly wrong. The boy leaned forward, poster and knife in hand. "Well, even if it won't work on humans, it doesn't really matter. I couldn't care less about that."

Everyone flinched when the abrupt sound of tearing rang out in the deathly quiet room. He then callously dropped the poster, everyone's eyes transfixed on the paper sailed down to the floor with a blade embedded smack in the center of the target's face.

His next words were even more chilling than his smile, "Just once, I've wanted to try killing the living being known as a sensei."

* * *

 **A/N: A thousand apologies if anyone has been waiting and entire month for this. It's hard to believe how busy the first month of the school year can be. I apologize too for the downright sloppiness of the chapter, I was fresh out of inspiration ;-; (Probs gonna edit this sometime later) As usual, leave a comment, and I'll try to work on it.**


	3. Chapter 3

Korosensei sighed contentedly, holding the dandelion he plucked from the side lf the field. "Shouts resounding across the sports grounds on a sunny afternoon. How peaceful." All around him, loud shouts filled the air. "Or it would be, if the students didn't have weapons…"

Karasuma was surprisingly still in his suit, but he had gone without his blazer. His sharp gaze flickered over the students before him, scrutinizing their every move. "Swing your knives through eight strikes without hesitation!" Karasuma commanded, pointing out another of their mistakes. "Hesitation won't do you any good! No matter how you stand, don't lose your balance!"

"I told you to go somewhere else during his time. From today onwards, I am in charge of P.E." Karasuma turned to Korosensei, narrowing his eyes at the gym uniform the octopus was wearing. "Even if I drive you away, it won't do any good, will it. Go play in that sandbox over there, at least."

Much to everyone's surprise, Korosensei obediently headed over to the long jump pit without a single fuss. _It's that easy?_ With tears streaming down his face, he avowed while piling some sand into a heap, "You're cruel, Karasuma-sa—Karasuma-sensei. My gym class is popular with the students too."

Sugaya sighed, shaking his head. "Don't lie, Korosensei. Your physical ability is far too different from ours. I mean, the last time you tried to make us jump from side to side while playing cat's cradle at the same time."

"It was to teach you the basics of visual duplication!" Korosensei defended.

"We can't do that!" the students roared angrily.

Nakamura piped up, "This really goes beyond a different dimension, huh…"

Sugino sighed, "Man, I want to be taught by a human P.E. teacher." He longed to play some normal sports like baseball at this time. Even so, he did not deny the fact that the knifework lessons _might_ be able to help him with his swings in the future, so he wasn't totally against it.

Either way, Korosensei still glumly retreated to the sandbox. Sugino's words were the final straw and further proved that the eccentricity's P.E. lessons weren't as welcomed as he had assumed.

Karasuma inwardly sighed, glad that the fiasco was over with. "We finally succeeded in driving the target away. Let's continue class."

Kimura glanced about, suddenly taking note of the people around him. "By the way, where is Takihara-san?"

Touka took a good look around, and sure enough the silent girl was nowhere among them. "I guess she's skipping as usual…"

Isogai frowned, slightly awed at how easily she got away with that. Even before Korosensei's 'Non-Human P.E. Lessons', he had seen Takihara Izumi in her gym clothes and standing in the field with them only once. "Again?"

"Hey, Karasuma-sensei," Okajima started. "Aren't you going to do something about that?"

Karasuma pursed his lips, in thought. Truthfully, he _was_ annoyed at how that girl didn't even bother showing up during P.E. Even so, he couldn't really force her to join them—Karasuma had tried, but Izumi had given him a very solid and detailed reason on why she had to be excused from class.

He couldn't exactly bring this matter up to the Chairman either. That manipulative man would most probably be neutral on this matter, seeing how the contract signed between him and the government clearly stated that the students' studies would always be prioritized before assassination.

If Izumi was using that period to loiter about, Karasuma might have had a slight chance. Unfortunately, she had used that time to study and finish her homework. All the more reason for the Chairman _not_ to force her to partake in the lessons.

Karasuma shut his eyes and exhaled, "I'm afraid I can't really force her to join us."

"But Karasuma-sensei, is there a reason for this sort of practice?" Maehara questioned, casting doubtful looks at the knife in his hand. "I mean, Takihara definitely had a reason to skip P.E. Maybe that reason is because there isn't much of a use for all this."

Although Karasuma remained silent, they could see his jaw clench tightly. This was _exactly_ why Takihara Izumi's skipping irritated him. He knew how powerful the actions of one man could be, which in his experience was catastrophic if it made the entire platoon start to question their commander's orders and decisions.

In their case, Takihara Izumi's reluctance towards assassination might just cost them the entire mission, and possibly Earth itself.

* * *

Glancing out to the field, Izumi saw everyone slowly making their way back to the building. _P.E. must be over._ She paused the track on her Mp3, stuffing her earphones into her pocket. Then she proceeded to stretch her body, yawning a little.

Having finished her homework sooner than expected, Izumi grew bored quickly despite having her songs. She decided to watch the class carry out their P.E. lessons, this time under the guidance of a combat instructor who had proper credentials. Unlike their homeroom teacher who presented nearly inhuman activitues.

Frankly, she had expected Karasuma to start off with a little of unarmed combat. Given, it didn't exactly come as much of a surprise either that he had decided to teach the class basic knife work first. After all, the blades crafted from anti-sensei material _was_ one of their provided weapons.

After watching the class practice the same movements for so long, Izumi wouldn't be surprised if she herself knew the new techniques. Though, she wasn't going to assume much, seeing how theory and application were completely different things. She was aware of her own abilities, and even more aware that it wasn't wise to get cocky.

The myriad of voices grew louder, snippets of conversation now more audible. It was nearly time for next period. Izumi sighed as she recalled the not-so-subtly foreshadowed quiz by Korosensei. She turned, about to head back to the classroom first when she realized there were footsteps from the opposite direction.

 _Someone else is here?_ Impossible, Izumi had watched everyone leave the building for P.E. Which could only mean that this person was not originally from this building, and most likely from the main building. Question was, who was this person who was willing to trek all the way up to this isolated place?

Hesitating, Izumi paused. It was nothing. _…_ _Right?_ All of a sudden, she herself wasn't too sure. And she didn't like being unsure, it made her restless.

Izumi had just about managed to convince herself to move when a figure rounded the corner. This resulted in a weak collision, both parties stumbling backwards a little.

She locked eyes with the unfamiliar boy, and he stared back at her. His red hair was tousled gently by the morning breeze which drifted in from the open windows. His almost-golden eyes gleamed, catching the dim light. They narrowed the slightest, before his lips curled into a playful smile.

"Sorry, my bad!" he greeted jovially. He then bypassed Izumi, but she felt that he was too close. So close, that she could actually feel the fabric of his black cardigan brush against the back of her hand.

Izumi turned around to watch him leave, slightly taken aback from the whole encounter. Her lips were parted, fully-expecting words to come out but none did. The only thing she could do was watch his retreating back as he hummed a small tune, the light notes filling the otherwise quiet building.

He seemed strangely familiar, and it infuriated her that she couldn't exactly place her finger on it. A boy with such presence was practically unforgettable, what more with his hair and clearly irregular uniform. Even so, that wasn't the actual reason Izumi did a double-take.

It was the startling lifelessness in his eyes which she couldn't bring herself to look away from.

* * *

As they slowly walked back to the building, Sugino sighed resignedly. "There's a quiz at 6, huh?"

Nagisa laughed. "Well, you're the one who wanted gym to end." As he listened to his classmate rant about how yesterday's lesson had not actually entered his brain in any way, Nagisa caught sight of a figure in front of the building.

He turned, his expression shifting to surprise when he got a better look at the person. "Karma-kun…" Nagisa said. "You've returned."

Karma looked no different from how he remembered, standing tall and proud as always. Despite the innocent-looking juice box in his hand, his dominating presence did not diminish the slightest. The usual light smirk with a taunting edge was present, but was quickly wiped away with a grin. "Yo, Nagisa-kun. It's been a while."

Nagisa couldn't ignore the warning flags raised in his mind. The grin looked cheerful and was clearly meant to be friendly, but he could tell from Karma's eyes that his smile did not mean that. Whatever his former classmate had in mind, making friends definitely wasn't one of them.

Karma's bronze eyes widened, his lips curving to form a perfect 'o'. "Woah, that's the Korosensei I've heard about?" Everyone's heads turned to watch as Karma excitedly hurried up to their homeroom teacher. "Amazing, he really _does_ look like an octopus," Karma exclaimed, eyeing Korosensei.

Korosensei seemed slightly taken aback by that, but not for long. "You would be… Akabane Karma-kun, right? I'd heard your suspension ended today." His face materialized into a shade of purple as he continued in a reprimanding tone, "You really shouldn't be late on your first day."

Looking perfectly at ease, Karma merely chuckled apologetically. "I've gotta get back into the rhythm of school life. It'll be more relaxed if you use my first name," he suggested, holding out his hand. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you, sensei!"

Korosensei nodded and took the outstretched hand. "Same here. Let's have a fun and interesting year."

Then it happened.

The very tentacle in Karma's hand crumbled like tofu, turning into molten goo. Karma flexed his other wrist, dropping the anti-sensei knife hidden up his sleeve right into his palm. He swiftly slashed at the disintegrated tentacle, but as predicted Korosensei had already put quite a distance between them by then.

The class was deathly silent, even Karasuma himself was speechless. It didn't matter that the teacher was still alive, what mattered was that he was successfully wounded, and by a student no less. It was proof that their goal wasn't as farfetched as originally thought. Killing Korosensei was possible.

Karma didn't seem too fazed either, a taunting smile on his face. "Huh. You really are fast, and these knives really do work against you." He turned his hand over, revealing the thin strips of green streaking his otherwise pale skin. "I tried cutting one into smaller pieces and sticking them to my hand," he explained.

The mockery was clear in Karma's words as he continued, "But… You know, sensei, to be deceived by such a simple trick..." Sticking his hands in his pockets, Karma strode towards Korosensei. Slowly, confidently; like a panther stalking its prey. "And on top of that, to jump that far back, aren't you a bit too frightened?"

Karma hitched an eyebrow, otherwise showing little to no reaction as Korosensei's tentacle regenerated. "I've heard that you're called Korosensei because you're unkillable, but what's _thiiiiis_?" He leaned in suddenly, revelling in the fact that the sudden action too caused the octopus to flinch a little.

"Sensei," Karma drawled with feigned amicability, "could it be that you're actually an easy mark?" Korosensei's expression remained unchanged, giving no hint as to what his thoughts were. Throwing a smirk as an outright challenge to the teacher, Karma turned on his heels and walked away.

"Nagisa," Kayano piped up from beside the awe-stricken him, "I'm new to Class E so I don't know him, but what sort of person is Karma-kun?"

Nagisa hesitated before answering, "Well, we were in the same class for our 1st and 2nd years, but when we were 2nd years, he was suspended for committing one act of violence after another. They put students like that in Class E too."

The class watched as Karma strode away, twirling his knife a few times before pocketing it. Low murmurs from other students' conversations surrounded them. "But…" Nagisa continued, "With the current situation, he might just be an honor student."

Kayano blinked in surprise at those words. "What do you mean?"

Nagisa pursed his lips, recalling just how dangerous that boy could be. "If dangerous weapons and the like are the foundation of sneak attacks, then Karma-kun will probably excel at that."

All eyes were still trained on him, not that Karma particularly minded. He lifted his gaze, meeting the penetrating gaze from a particular pair of hazel eyes. Karma tossed another one his smirks in that direction, and was delighted to see those eyes narrow dangerously before turning away.

She had definitely seen him, he knew that much.

* * *

Vibrations coursed through the tabletop. The cellphone's screen lit up, dispelling the darkness of the room. The person clumsily reached for his phone, squinting at the sudden brightness. He read the new text message's contents, and reread it in confusion.

 _Give me everything you know on Akabane Karma._

* * *

 **A/N: Ahhh, I finally got this chapter done with T^T. Sorry for taking such a long time, freaking exams are the bane of my existence. I know some of you (okay, _one_ of you) said that you would like Izumi to interact more with Nagisa. Um... Sorry for not making her do that in this chapter T^T. On the side note, now that AssClass has finally ended, I can really focus on plotting out this story. It's still sad to see such a great series come to an end, though T^T**

 **Apologize for using so many crying emojis, I think I have an affinity for them as of late. You know the drill, leave comments, and have a nice day. Or night. (I don't know, it's like midnight here, so... morning I guess?)**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Name the—_** _Swoosh! Swoosh! Broing! Broing!_

Mimura gazed up from his work cautiously, "He started doing that a little while ago, but what is it?"

Touka shrugged, spinning her pencil between her fingers. "Who knows…"

Deep breath in, deep breath out. She could do this. It was only a little noise. _**Name the period in—** Swoosh! Swoosh! Broing! Broing!_

More murmuring, "…He's doing wall punches, isn't he?"

"Ah… Karma made fun of him recently, so he's irritated."

"Tentacles are soft, so he's not doing any damage to the walls."

Calmness. Think of soothing stuff. Smooth-flowing river. Quiet countryside. Calm. _**In which the—**_

 _Swoosh! Broing!_

Izumi's pencil lead snapped, gritting her teeth so hard that her jaw hurt. "WILL YOU PLEASE STOP THAT?!" she finally snapped out loud, in spite of the quiet atmosphere of the class. "Take your freaking wall punches outside or someplace else!"

"All of that _Broing Broin_ g-ing is annoying, Korosensei!" Hinata added, similarly as furious. "We're taking a quiz, you know!"

Korosensei whirled around, horrified at being called out. "M-My apologies!"

Everyone had paused in the middle of writing, mainly to stare in bewilderment at Izumi whom they had never witnessed losing her cool before. She appeared to be ignoring their stares, scribbling away in an almost-ferocious manner.

To be honest, Korosensei wasn't the only reason Izumi was feeling more irritated than usual. The other reason came from the empty desk on her right. Well, no longer empty ever since Akabane Karma showed up.

Izumi had always assumed that useless people got on her nerves the most but alas, she had been proven wrong. As of now, that title was held by Karma. Or maybe he _was_ a useless person to begin with. Either way, she wasn't planning on finding out for herself anytime soon.

"Yo, Karma," Terasaka taunted from two seats over, his voice only slightly above a whisper, "don't come crying to us when you get that monster mad."

"It would've been better if you stayed secluded at home again," Muramatsu chimed in with a grin in a sing-song voice.

Karma didn't look the least bothered by their taunts, instead looking slightly exasperated. "If you were about to be killed, of course you would be angry," he commented slowly as if explaining to a child. "Terasaka, it's different than when a certain someone failed and wet himself."

Izumi briefly wondered how did he know about the failed assassination with Nagisa as the bait. He definitely wasn't here, as far as she could recall. From the looks of it, he didn't seem to have any friends too, and frankly she would be surprised if he did. Just how did he find out about that? And then she realized, she honestly couldn't care. Back to the quiz, then.

"Wh—I didn't piss myself!" Terasaka yelled, very much flustered. He pounded his fist on his desk, making the poorly-made furniture shake violently. "Bastard, you looking for a fight?!"

Karma simply leaned back a little as a ruler sailed through the air and hit Terasaka square in the forehead. The burly student flinched, "Ow—Hey!" He glared angrily at the redhead.

Shrugging carelessly, Karma hooked his thumb at the real perpetrator. "Will you please shut your damn mouth already?" Izumi hissed irritably, her normally morose eyes aflame with anger. "Unlike you, some people actually like to think before doing something."

Terasaka clenched his fists tightly, sneering at the two students. "Why, you—"

"Hey, you over there!" Korosensei exclaimed, his face purple. "Don't make a ruckus during the test!"

 _Tell that to your own tentacles_ , the entire class echoed that thought.

Karma who did not look particularly apologetic promptly apologized, "Sorry, Korosensei. You see, I already finished, so I'll just eat gelato and be quiet."

Korosensei clicked his tongue. "You can't do something like that during class. Honestly, where did you buy tha…" There was a short pause before his vision zeroed in on the wafer cone topped with a swirl of pink cream. "THA! THAT'S THE ONE I WENT TO ITALY TO BOUGHT YESTERDAY!"

 _SO IT'S YOURS!_ The entire class had been wondering how on earth did Karma reappear in the classroom with the frozen treat in hand, grinning widely like a Cheshire cat. Well, mystery solved at least.

"Ah, sooory. I found it refrigerating in the faculty room."

Izumi suppressed a sigh. She did not even intend to know what that boy was doing in the faculty room to begin with. Resting her head on her palm, she checked through her answers for mistakes. She picked up her eraser and rubbed out a small typo as the argument continued.

"THIS CANNOT BE SETTLED WITH AN APOLOGY!" Korosensei insisted angrily. "AND AFTER I WENT THROUGH SO MUCH TROUBLE, FLYING THROUGH THE COLD STRATOSPHERE SO IT WOULDN'T MELT!"

"Heeeh…" Karma stuck out his tongue—in a particularly obnoxious and childish manner, Izumi noted. "So, what will you do? Hit me?"

Her pencil hovered in place over the paper. It finally struck her. The taunts, the not-so-stellar student attitude, the numerous thefts directed only towards the octopus. How had she not realized it sooner? _That sly son of a bitch_ , Izumi thought with begrudging admiration. It was a perfect way.

But would it work against that octopus? After all, Korosensei was now almost infamous for foiling plots.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT. I'LL JUST EAT WHAT'S LEFT."

Izumi facepalmed, shaking her head. Apparently it just might, given that Korosensei appeared to be more than ready to take candy from a baby. Literally, because Karma's childishness reminded her of a mischievous toddler at times. Korosensei stormed over to the back of the class, determinedly like a man (octopus?) with a mission.

Izumi wondered for the hundredth time; Why did she have to go through this? She shifted her leg, the slight movement more than enough to send her rickety desk wobbling as if it was the middle of an earthquake. Cursing her luck as her eraser rolled off the table, she bent down to retrieve it.

It was also only then that she noticed the small green pellets strewn innocently across the floor. Glancing around, she found the bullets to be scattered only around a small radius of Karma's desk. Unfortunately, her territory was accounted into that radius as well.

She hitched an eyebrow. This guy definitely had brains and skills, she would give him that. Even she had not noticed him scattering the bullets across the floor. Normally, she would've pointed that out, but this seemed to be in her favor rather than the opposite.

After all, if Karma actually managed to succeed this would put an end to this entire circus act. And hopefully, the lack of a target would send Karma away from school and leave her in peace once more. All of which sounded pretty nice to her. That being said, Izumi chose to feign ignorance of said condition and straightened, sitting upright.

Just in time, as some of Korosensei's tentacles turned into a gooey mush. He looked down, only now realizing the presence of the bullets. Izumi took out a book from her bag and held it up. This had happened so many times, she would be damned if she let it happen to her again.

"I fooled you again," Karma announced triumphantly. As everyone had expected, a hail of bullets were fired at Korosensei, who evaded them easily. Izumi sighed exasperatedly to herself as some bullets ricocheted off the book. She was innately thankful for her makeshift shield. Despite her best attempts, though, one or two bullets still managed to hit her on her arm.

Izumi cautiously peered over her book, seeing that Karma had ceased firing. There was a smirk on his face, which she wanted to slap off of him for always putting her in the way of his messes. "I'll use these sorts of tricks how many times it takes," he affirmed. "I don't care about interfering with class."

 _AT LEAST CARE ABOUT WHO YOU END UP HITTING, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!_ Izumi screamed internally with a disapproving frown. Just because she had the luck of sitting beside him, she had the luck of bearing the effects too.

"If you don't like it, then you should kill me as well as my parents," Karma finished. "But from that moment on," he added as he took a stride forward and pressed the gelato into Korosensei's robes, "No one will view you as a teacher anymore. You'll just be a murderous monster." His smirk only widened as he dropped the cone, "I will have killed… your existence as a _sensei_."

"Here, my test." The tentacles darted to catch the paper that Karma threw. "The answers are probably all correct," he added confidently. He strolled to the door and carved his lips into an innocent smile, "Bye, _sensei_! Let's play tomorrow too!"

The class was left in silence once again after the door slid shut. Undoubtedly, everyone was left on edge, the tension looming in the air. Korosensei merely produced a handkerchief and dabbed at the stain on his clothes. His constant smile didn't give anything away, leaving his current thoughts a mystery.

She slipped the book under her desk. Izumi wished Karma would just get it over with and stop toying with the target. All these unnecessary stunts he had been pulling off pissed her off more than anything. Just what was he trying to prove? That he was a rebellious punk who was a genius and was entitled to act as he wished?

Sighing, Izumi clicked on her pen, withdrawing the nib. Really, she was the one feeling exhausted from the constant antics rather than Karma or Korosensei themselves. It almost made her wish that she had never come to Class 3-E.

* * *

Her cellphone rang with an incoming call. Being well after school hours, Izumi who was in the middle of heading home reached into her pocket. The screen of the phone lit up brightly, the caller ID reading 'Shuu'. Izumi hitched an eyebrow, glancing at the name.

Slowing her steps, she ended up stopping by the station's entrance pillars. A janitor was busy mopping up a pool of liquid, shards from the broken glass bottle littering the ground. Wondering what event had taken place here, she swiped to accept the call and held it up to her ear. "What's up?"

"What's up?" the voice repeated her greeting with utter scorn. "Is that the first thing you have to say after not even hearing a single whisper from you for the past three months?"

"It's not like you don't know where I am," Izumi retorted a little more irritably than she usually would have. She pushed past one of the turnstiles at Kunugigaoka station. "Besides, I'm sure your _dear_ father has definitely kept you fairly up-to-date with my current affairs, hmm?"

There was a pause, before a thoughtful hum emanated from the other end. "Can't say you've got that part wrong."

"I think you mean both parts, Shuu. He is a control freak just like you."

"Well, isn't that rich coming from one of the most manipulative people I've ever known."

Izumi ignored the jibe as she walked onto the train platform. "Your call was a surprise. Frankly, I'd expected you to ignore my text completely, you know, since I'm below your level now and all."

The tone of the voice significantly dropped, turning frigid, "Don't get me wrong, Mi-chan. I'm not intending to associate myself with your people anytime soon. The only reason I even bothered to respond in the first place is because of our relationship."

Izumi sighed, glancing towards the train tracks. "My people? You say it like you don't understand me at all." Though, she would be lying if she said she hadn't expected that, with his elitist mindset and all. "And besides, there's always the more hassle-free option of replying my text."

"Admittedly enough, I was curious." What he was curious about, Shuu didn't specify, and Izumi didn't ask. "Besides, I'm stuck at school with activities to attend to, unlike you the lazy ass."

Humming in amusement, she commented, "Hmm, perhaps I was wrong. Maybe you do understand me."

A sharp click of the tongue. "Get to the point, Mi-chan. Are you going to tell me why you've suddenly started asking about Akabane?"

"Oh dear, am I not allowed to get to know my fellow classmate better, Shuu?" Izumi taunted.

"First of all, that's complete utter crap and you know it. You and I know very well that you don't give two shits about 'fellow classmates' even back then, Izumi. There's got to be another reason to this."

A voice echoed, announcing the arrival and destination of the train as it slowly came to a stop. "My, my. Isn't someone being a Sherlock wannabe?"

She heard the scraping of wood against the floor. Shuu had probably stood up from a chair. "If you were in my place, even you would be able to figure that out. You were never a dumb person to begin with."

"Touché." Izumi boarded the train and sank down into the nearest seat. "If you really do want to know, Akabane happens to be sitting next to me in class, and he's being an annoying little shit."

She could almost sense Shuu's eyebrows rising skeptically. "And that's why you're asking me for dirt on him? Didn't peg you as a stalker type, Takihara. Also, you do know that 'little shit' is at least 1.7 meters tall, right?"

Izumi scowled angrily. "That useless guy is not worth me wasting my time on. If I were to engage in stalking, I would choose a better target."

A mild chuckle of amusement could be heard. "Oh, this is gold. Takihara Izumi begging people for information. Who would have seen this coming?"

A small smile crossed her face. They hadn't bantered like this for quite a while. It was kind of nostalgic in a way. "Begging is such a strong word. I'd prefer the term 'asking for a favor'."

"A favor, hmm? What do I get in return then?" His voice surreptitiously dipped lower in a way that would make girls blush and swoon, "Because, I definitely have a few ideas on what I could do with you."

Unfortunately, Izumi was not one of those girls. She smirked, "Dream on, Shuu. You're trying to pull this off on your childhood friend who's seen you naked when you were seven?"

She could almost see him cringe. "I see your point. Ugh, the memory still haunts me to this day. Clearly, seven-year-old you wasn't aware of the concept of knocking."

The doors of the train slid shut, a slight jerk signaling that the train was beginning to move. "I'll get you some pizza or something as an apology and we'll call it even. Now, are you telling me or not?"

There was a pause before a heavy sigh followed. "Fine. But I get to pick the toppings this time."

"Are you saying I have bad taste in toppings?"

"No, I'm saying you have _shit_ taste in toppings. Before you start to defend pineapples, hold that thought." Izumi heard a vague and slightly muffled word of thanks. She was a bit stunned by how fast it took him, but then again Shuu had always been a perfectionist for everything. "I just got my hands on his file. Jesus, what has this guy been doing? It's as thick as the Bible."

Why wasn't she surprised again? Oh right, because this was Akabane Karma they were talking about. Even so, all she said in reply was just, "Good to know, Shuu. Good to know."

Shuu made a disgruntled, 'Hmph,' sound in respond. "I hope you have pen and paper with you, because I'm not gonna repeat all this shit later even if you beg me."

"I think you'll have to wait a century for that to happen, Shuu." Takihara Izumi never begged. No matter how desperate she might get, she would never swallow her pride that easily.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh my god I'm so sorry for not updating for so long. I saw the reviews some of you left and forced myself to write because I felt guilty. School has been crazy with my exams timed barely 2 months away from each other T.T Not to mention I also signed up for some scripwriting thing for a musical, so I'm pretty busy with that too.**

 **Enough about school. Since the school term is already coming to an end (okay, no more mentioning school, I swear), I will try my best to bring this to at least 10 chapters before 2017.** **Leave a review if you like ^^ Criticism is welcome, along with ideas if you guys have any!**


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